Method of producing perforated paper



July 10, 1934. J F. HAwLEY 1,965,893

METHOD OF PRODUCING PERFORATED PAPER Original Filed Nov. 27, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1934. F;H WLEY' 1,965,893

METHOD OF PRODUCING PERFORATED PAPER Original Filed Nov. 27, 1929 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. F. HAWLEY 1,965,893

METHOD OF PRODUCING PERFORATED PAPER July 10,1934.

Original Fi led Nov. 27, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented July 10, 1934 7 UNITED STATES 1,965,993 METHOD OF PRODUCING PERFORATED PAPER John Hawley, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Gen tral Waxed Paper Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Original application November 2'7, 1929, Serial No. 410,065, now Patent No. 1,942,168. Divided and this application September 8, 1933, Serial 1 Claimr This inventionrelates in general to a method and apparatus for centering predetermined portions of paper being prepared for use, such as in packaging, and has broadly for an object the efficient centering of predetermined portions of paper by perforating it before the paper is prepared for a subsequent operation, such as printing or packaging, and the provision of novel apparatus for perforating the paper about the predetermined centers and for providing indicia and grip apertures for a subsequent operation on the paper, as disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 410,065, filed November 27, 1929, of which this application is a division.

An important object of the invention resides in providing a reliable centering mechanism, synchronously driven with a printing press, which will perforate the paper about predetermined centers, subsequently to receive such printed matter as labels or advertising matter, providing against irregularly spaced labels caused by periodic slackening of the paper due to back-lashing of the driving gears and the variable factor of friction between the paper and the printing roll.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of an accurate centering mechanism for waxed or other packaging paper which is to have labels or advertising matter imprinted thereon preparatory to the packaging of the paper-by cutting or folding between adjacent labels. Still another important object of the invention is the provision of novel apparatus for perforating waxed or other packaging paper about predetermined centers and for thereafter passing the 7 paper to a printing press driven at the same speed as the apparatus for printing the labels central- I 1y of the perforations, and providing such apparatus with means for disposing of the paper punched from the perforations.

An important object of the invention is the provision of companion die cylinders in conjunction'with a printing press and driven at the same speed therewith, one of which is axially adjustable and the other of which is adjustable about its axis to permit relative adjustment between the dies carried by one of the cylinders and the surface of the other cylinder.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a paper perforating mechanism hav ing companion die cylinders, one of which carries a plurality of dies, and providing the die-carrying cylinder with a plurality of alternate die positions which will permit adjustment of the dies to adjust the perforations made thereby transversely andlongitudinally of the paper passing in connection withthe accompanying drawings,

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a printing press' embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a piece of paper showing the centering apertures with respect to the printed matter after it has passed through the perforating mechanism and the printing press;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the perforating cylinders shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a die adaptable for use on the perforating cylinders of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a partial section taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a perforatingmechanism, designated generally by the reference character 11 and driven synchronously with a printing press, shown schematically at 12 in Fig. 1, for perforating waxed or other packaging paper 13, whereby to center the printed matter with respect to the perforations, such printed matter being subsequently applied to the paper in the press. It will be understood, however, that the application of the present invention is not confined to use in conjunction with printing presses nor to useon a particular kind of paper, but contemplates other useful and broader applications. I

In printing labels or advertising matter, or in applying designs to packaging paper preparatory to the final packaging operation of cutting or folding the paper to the desired size, it is important that spacing irregularities between designs be prevented because such irregularities are cumulative, resulting at times in shorts of from 31) to 4.0 feet at the end of the roll. These irregularities in spacing of designs or labels are or may be caused by back-lashing of gears, which drive the paper rolls or by the paper stretching, and may be the source of losses in time, labor and material.

This invention, therefore, contemplates dividing the paper into uniform portions which are bounded by perforations or indicia made in the paper before it is supplied to a printing press at uniform tension and speed so that the labels or designs are imprinted on the paper within the bounds of the indicia and are properly spaced for the cutting or folding operation. The novel apparatus for accomplishing this end provides novel features of construction for collecting and disposing of the paper punched from the perforations, or bounding indicia, and for various nice adjustments, as will hereinafter be described.

A die base cylinder or roll 14 is adapted to be driven by any suitable means, such as a gear 15, on a shaft 16, the gear 15 meshing with a gear 17 which is carried on a shaft 18 supported in bearings 19 which are provided in frame members 21 of the printing press 12, the shaft 18 supporting the cylinder 14. The cylinder 14 is companion to a hollow die carrying cylinder or roll 22 adjacent'thereto for carrying dies to perforate the paper and is supported by a hollow, outwardly extending shaft 23 provided at each end of the cylinder and carried in bearings 24 on the frame members 21. This shaft 23 communicates through its passage 25 with the interior of the cylinder, providing means through which the contents of the cylinder may be removed, and has an end extending beyond the bearing 24 to carry a gear 26 driven by the gear 1'7 already described.

The gear 15 on the shaft 16 for driving the cylinders 14 and 22 is adapted to be driven through a chain of gearing from a shaft 32. This chain of gearing comprises a spur gear 28 fixed upon shaft 16, an idler gear 29 and a spur gear 31 fixed on shaft 32. Reference indicia is or may be provided upon gears 28, 29 and 31 to facilitate arrangement of the parts of the apparatus in desired starting registration. The shaft 32 carries a gear 33 which is driven from a drive shaft 34 of a printing press 12 in turn supplied with power from any suitable source (not shown).

For further convenience of illustrating. the method and apparatus of the invention, a shaft 35 driven from the shaft 16 by means of a chain 36 and sprocket 37 is shown in Fig. 1 for rewinding the paper 13 after it has passed through the printing press 12. Thus, the paper 13 is sup plied from a suitable source over a series of rolls beginning by passing between suitable rolls carried by the shafts 32 and 34, thence around the cylinder 14 and between it and the die-carrying cylinder 22.

A plurality of perforating dies 38 (shown particularly in Fig. 5) are positioned about the diecarrying cylinder 22 and have passages 39 communicating with the interior of the die-carrying cylinder. These dies perforate the paper as at 41 (illustrated in Fig. 2) and the paper punched from the perforations passes through the die passages and is collected within the cylinder 22 from which it may be removed in any suitable manner through the hollow shaft 25. It will be observed that the perforations 41 are uniformly spaced transversely and longitudinally of the paper 13 so that designs or labels 42 may be applied within the bounds of the perforations by platen and impression rolls 43 and 44 of the printing press 12.

The paper 13 is thus passed through the printing Dress having the required number of platen and impression rolls 43 and 44 to an idler roll 45 from which it is or may be passed to the rewinding. roll 35a, as shown in Fig. 1. The series of rolls or cylinders and the perforating cylinders 14 and 22 serve to keep the paper at a uniform tension throughout the perforating and printing operations and the perforating rolls are driven to provide the paper with the same linear speed as that in the printing press, so that the designs or labels may be accurately centered with respect to the perforations 41. It will be understood that the paper from the roll 45 may then be passed to a packaging machine for cutting or folding the paper to the desired sizes and that the perforations 41 provide not only indicia for such folding or cutting but also grip apertures for the packaging machine.

Adjustment of the dies 38 longitudinally and transversely with respect to the paper 13, providing adjustment between the dies and the die base cylinder, and adjustment of the cylinder 22 peripherally, are provided for purposes which will hereinafter become apparent.

The die base cylinder or roll 14 may be of solid construction, or, as more fully described in my co-pending application Serial No. 410,065, may have a fabricated wooden cylinder adapted to be carried by a cored cylinder 47 which is carried on the shaft 18 by means of sleeves or bushings 48 having portions 49 extending inwardly. Further description of the die base roll is not believed necessary in the instant application in view of the description in said co-pending application. The cylinders 14 and 22 are maintained in spaced relation (to permit ready passage of the paper therebetween) by means of bearers 63 suitably held on the ends of the cylinder 47 which co-operate with corresponding bearers 64 on the diecarrying cylinder 22.

As before stated, the cylinder 22 provides for adjustment of the dies 38 to permit desirable spacing for various sizes of labels or designs. To this end, the cylinder 22 is provided with a plurality of peripheral grooves 68 spaced axially of the cylinder and adapted to receive the dies 38. It will be understood that while the drawings show spaced grooves, other groove arrangements, such as spirally of the cylinder, are also contemplated as coming within the scope of the pres-,

ent invention. A plurality of apertures 69 are provided in the grooves 68 and extend into the cylinder forming a communication therewith for co-operation with the passage 39 of the dies 38 to permit collection of the paper punched from v the perforations within the cylinder. The dies 38 are thus provided with a plurality of positions peripherally of the cylinder 22 in each groove to provide spacing adjustment for the perforations longitudinally of the paper, and may be, held thereon by screws 71 passing through slots 72 in each end of the dies 38 and threading into the walls of the cylinder 22, as shown at 73 in Fig. 7. Each die'38 is provided with an outstanding cutting edge 74 surrounding the passage 39 and adapted to pierce through the paper 13 and into the wooden cylindrical surface 55 as the rolls 14 and 22 are driven from the printing press. It will be manifest that alternate grooves 69 may be employed to carry dies 38 to provide spacing adjustment for the perforations transthe cylinder 22 to ride on the corresponding:

bearer 63 of the cylinder 14. This shaft 23, as mentioned before, is hollow and extends outwardly to provide means for removing from the cylinder the paper punched from the perforations and collected in the cylinder 22, and carries near one end the gearing 26 driven by the gear 17 on the shaft 18.

The gear 26 is provided with a plurality of slots outwardly of the center and concentric with the gear for receiving bolts '76 extending through the slots '75 and threading into a collar or bushing 7''! adapted to impart rotation to the shaft 23. Such a mounting of the gear 26 permits peripheral adjustment of the cylinder 22 by loosening the bolts '76 and turning the cylinder 22 so that the dies '38 may be moved to register with printing indicia on a web of paper.

The clamped hub shaft may be loosened to permit peripheral and longitudinal adjustment of the cylinder 14 so that dies will not register with previous impression.

The alternate positions of the dies 38 peripherally and axially of the cylinder 22 provide means for centering advertising matter or designs of variable dimensions and adjustment of the two cylinders is provided to prevent damage to the relatively soft surface of the die base cylinder and to present a smooth portion of the last said cylinder to the cutting edges of the dies, effecting smooth, clean perforation.

It is thought that the invention and many attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, con-- struction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the'spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A centering device for perforating paper about predetermined centers, comprising a hollow cylinder and a plurality of dies positionable in spaced relation on said cylinder for engaging and perforating paper, and adapted to permit passage of the paper punched from the perforations therethrough and into said cylinder, said dies being removably secured about said cylinder and adapted to be positioned in a plurality of alternate positions peripherally and axially thereof to provide greater spacing of the perforations longitudinally and transversely of the paper.

JOHN F. HAWLEY. 

